TWEENS13 Strike 3
by A Rhea King
Summary: Trip walks into a girl's night. Trip and Archer investigate a sunken city. The men cope with the women's 'special time of the month.' Hoshi's penpal gets Enterprise in trouble. Malcolm is adjusting to fatherhood. The crew takes to sandboarding.
1. Girls' Night

Chapter 13 : Strike Three  
By A. Rhea King

_Girls' Night (1)_

Ensign Linda Pierson reached down and slowly painted red fingernail polish on her toenails.

"Fire Engine red!" she laughed. She was sitting on the floor near the cabin door with her back against the wall dressed in a cream colored sleeveless shell and a pair of black shorts. Her tennis shoes sat on the floor next to her with her socks draped over them.

"How about Fire Engine red AND tangerine orange!" Ensign Elizabeth Cutler turned her foot so the other three women in the cabin could see her toenails. She tapped her fingers against her bare leg and then flopped her arm across her stomach "So what did Ryce say then, Patty?" Elizabeth pulled her leg back up on the chair so she could reach her toes.

Sitting on the top bunk of the cabin Ensign Patty Loveless was applying another layer of red lipstick to her lips, admiring the shade in a hand held mirror in front of her. She kissed her lips together and commented, "I wish we could wear makeup all the time. I really miss that," then Patty grinned. "He asked what else I had in mind." Patty fluttered her eyelashes.

"He didn't!" Ensign Marsha McDowny gasped and then giggled. Marsha, Elizabeth Cutler's roommate, was lying on her bunk flipping through a magazine. She was still wearing her undershirt but had changed into a pair of cotton shorts.

"Ooooo. Patty, watch him. He is a _total_ player," Linda warned.

"That's true." Patty paused. Her lips turned into a full grin. "But so am I!"

The four women laughed together.

"So, how far do you think T'Pol's made it with Trip?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh, she's at least made first base I've heard. But I'm sure there is a whole lot more that rumors haven't heard," Linda laughed

"I never would have thunk them two together," Patty said.

"Oh pa-lease!" Linda cried. "From day one those two were undressing each other with their eyes. Any fool could see that!"

"Any fool except them," Elizabeth pointed out.

"And I'm sure she has _controlled_ Vulcan emotions when they're together, too," Patty giggled.

Again the four laughed. The doorbell beeped.

"We all decent?" Elizabeth asked.

"Don't answer it," Patty whispered.

The doorbell beeped again.

"I have to," Elizabeth whispered back, laughing.

"No. You're dead. Dead people don't answer doors," Linda giggled.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer it. Marsha lunged at Elizabeth, slapping her hand over Elizabeth's mouth. The four started giggling.

"No. No answer. I forbid it!" Marsha whispered.

The doorbell rang a third time.

Elizabeth pulled Marsha's hand down. "It could be—"

"We all died and we'll be back tomorrow. Don't answer it," Marsha laughed.

The doorbell beeped again.

"COME IN!" Elizabeth yelled before Marsha could slap her hand over her mouth again.

The door open and Trip stepped in.

"Ensign Cut…l…er…" Trip watched the four women trying to stand at attention but at least three of them had cotton balls between their half painted toes and Marsha was laughing so hard that she couldn't gain composure for a proper stance.

"I'm interrupting," Trip said as he began backing toward the door, "I'll go."

"No, sir. Whatever it is, I can—" Elizabeth started.

"No you can't. You're dead," Marsha laughed, falling onto her bunk.

Trip looked back at Elizabeth. She was struggling to contain her laughter.

"It can wait. We'll talk tomorrow. No rush." Trip stepped out of the quarters, hearing the four women start howling with laughter and one say, "Speak of the devil!"

Trip stood in the hall, staring at the closed door. He grinned, half wishing he knew what they had been saying about him before the door opened. However, he decided being caught in a small room with four women wearing make-up, skimpy clothes, and who were probably talking about things better left unsaid, would probably be disastrous to his reputation. Instead he headed to the recreation room.

Trip walked in and spotted Archer sitting in a chair beside the basketball court. Trip walked up to Archer, watching him look up.

"Done?" Archer asked.

"I'll do it tomorrow."

"I need to get that zoology report sent to Starfleet, Trip. What happened? Didn't Ensign Cutler have it done? She was supposed to have had it done yesterday."

"I didn't ask," Trip said.

"Why?"

Trip blushed. "Because there were four women wearing very little clothes, putting on war paint, and gossiping and there are some places men just don't belong, Cap'n."

Archer smiled. "You're right. There are." Archer stood up and began to dribble the basketball. He looked up at Trip. "War paint, huh?"

"Red lipstick, orange nail polish and they probably would have been dancing on the bar of a bar by the end of the night if we had one."

Archer laughed. He started dribbling the ball toward the court. Suddenly he took off running toward the hoop, jumped and slam-dunked the ball.

"HEY!" Trip yelled, running onto the court to block Archer's next attempt to make a basket.


	2. What the Sea Swallows

_What The Sea Swallows (2)_

Archer stared at the green-blue water under the raft. Sunlight quickly disappeared into inky blackness below the calm surface.

"Cap'n," Trip said.

Archer looked around at Trip. Trip had his wetsuit and diving equipment on and was holding the mouthpiece in his hand. Archer looked back at the water.

"You know…this an alien ocean. You don't know what's down there," Archer said.

"Hey, I didn't twist your arm to come out here. You wanted to go, remember?"

"I'm allowed to have second thoughts."

"Not once we get in the water you're not."

Archer shot Trip a glare.

"I'll go if you don't want to, sir," Travis offered

Both men looked down at Travis. The young man was reclined at the back of the raft next to the motor. He wore only a pair of ragged cut-off shorts and his cap was low on his head, shading his eyes from the sun. He had his legs resting on the opposite side of the boat and looked like he would probably fall asleep as soon as they were gone.

"I wouldn't want to disturb you or anything, Travis," Archer teased. "I'll go."

"Don't say I never offered, sir."

"Not a chance." Archer looked back at the water.

"I want to go find out what the things were that showed up on the scans, Cap'n. Are ya comin' or not?" Trip asked.

Archer turned and pulled his mask down. Trip stood up and checked their air tank levels.

"Ready?" Trip asked as he sat back down on the edge.

"No," Archer answered and then put the mouthpiece in his mouth.

Trip pulled his mask down, put his mouthpiece in his mouth, waved good-bye to Archer and let himself fall backwards into the water. Archer closed his eyes and fell back into the water. He felt something on his arm and opened his eyes, finding Trip beside him. Trip pointed at Archer and then bunched his fist with his thumb sticking up. Archer nodded.

The two swam toward the darkness below. Archer saw Trip turn on his wrist beacon and did the same. Something dark gray began to become visible as they swam closer toward it. In the darkness they could make out that it ran lengthwise and looked like cement. Trip knelt down on the object and reached out, swiping his hand back and forth to clear the silt away from the object that disappeared into darkness to the left and right. Trip grabbed something and held it up, staring at it. Archer swam closer, taking it. It was a metal rod but other than that neither man had any idea what it was.

Trip motioned Archer to wait and that he would be gone for five minutes and then disappeared over the edge. Archer watched where he'd gone and began to grow concerned after several minutes passed. Trip suddenly appeared, waving Archer to follow him. Archer swam over and Trip led the way down the side of the object to an opening. Trip pointed into it, disappearing inside. Archer stared at the opening wishing he'd taken Travis up on his offer to go in his place. He didn't want to go through the opening and his mind was playing a thousand 'what if' scenarios. Trip appeared suddenly, grabbed Archer's wrist and drug him through the opening.

Inside the structure it was bitch black. A light burst and Archer looked to see Trip had lit a flare. He held it up, dragging Archer with him. Trip led him through another opening and up to a wall. Trip let go of Archer's wrist so he could point at the wall. Archer moved closer and stared at the calendar on the wall. A calendar? Archer reached out and pulled the calendar off the wall, staring at it. Archer looked at Trip when his friend touched his arm. Trip was motioning him to follow. Archer turned and followed him into another room. Trip handed Archer the flare and swam over to something. He cleared silt away until Archer could see the object. Archer swam close, holding the flare in front of a decaying television set. Archer looked up, seeing Trip pointing at something. Archer turned, swimming in the direction Trip was pointing. Along a wall was a decaying stereo sitting amid a pile of decomposing wooden shelves and metal braces. He pushed the top and the lid slowly floated up. Archer reached in, picking up the compact disc inside. He turned, waving Trip to follow. Archer led the way out of what was apparently a building and started for the surface. He spotted the raft and swam toward it. The two men surfaced and held onto the side of the raft to hold themselves up. Archer yanked his mouthpiece out and pushed his mask up, watching Trip do the same.

"WAS THAT REAL!?" Archer asked, holding up the calendar.

"It was real," Trip grinned. "As the proverb goes; what the sea swallows is lost forever."

"What was real?" Travis leaned over the side of the raft.

Archer handed Travis the calendar. "I've never heard that proverb."

"It's an old proverb."

"Yeah? How old?"

Trip shrugged, "Oh…about fifteen seconds."

Archer smiled.

"Is this real!?" Travis smiled.

Archer tossed the disc in the raft next to Travis. He picked it up, looking at it.

"What is this?" Travis asked.

Archer's eyes narrowed as he tried to pull up the unused information from his mind. "If I remember right, a compact disc. Pretty common in the twentieth and twenty-first century."

"For music," Trip added.

"Not all were for music," Archer argued.

"It was in a stereo. It was for music," Trip pointed out.

Archer shrugged his eyebrows. Trip had a point.

"A stereo?" Travis looked at them. "There was a stereo down there?"

"Yeah," Archer answered. "And a television. Or at least what was left of it."

"That's why I was gone so long," Trip explained to Archer. "It's an apartment building. There are a few other apartments that I checked out. Fully furnished with full kitchens — refrigerator, stove, one of those old microwaves."

"That explains all the objects detected on the scans, sirs," Travis said, flipping the pages of the calendar. "I bet this was like a swimsuit calendar."

Trip and Archer both looked at him.

"Why would you say that?" Trip asked Travis.

"Look." Travis held the calendar up, showing an alien dressed in very little clothing lounging on the hood of a car.

Archer ripped the calendar from Travis, folded it and lightly hit Travis on the head. "Bad ensign! Bad boy!" Archer said.

The three men laughed.

"Now you know what Porthos has to put up with, Travis," Trip laughed.

Archer pulled up on the side of the raft. "Hey, where's that PADD that has the locations of the other anomalies detected on the scan?"

Travis turned and retrieved the PADD. Archer took the PADD, looking at it.

"Look here," Archer said, holding the PADD at an angle so Trip could see it. "Notice something?"

"Yeah." Trip pulled himself up on the side of the raft, tracing out the imaginary squares. "Bet that somewhere under all that dirt are streets."

"Looks that way." Archer tossed the PADD in the raft. "Travis, get a hold of T'Pol and tell her to do a layer geographic scan down to, oh, twenty kilometers. Sound about right?" Archer looked at Trip.

"Probably. It's looking pretty twentieth century so I suppose there could be something that deep. Like a subway or something."

Travis leaned forward. "So we happened to stumble on a submerged city that apparently," Travis held up the calendar and flipped it to a page with an alien standing next to a car, "Had a twentieth century culture before it sank to the bottom of the ocean. Shall we christen this world Atlantis two, sirs?"

"Atlantis sank. This place didn't sink. It flooded," Trip said. "T'Pol said the sun's going nova and is melting the icecaps. Pretty soon the whole planet's going to be under water, and then the atmosphere will diminish and the planet will die."

"When did she say that?" Archer asked Trip.

Trip shrugged. "Yesterday afternoon at lunch in the mess hall."

"You worry me sometimes, Trip?" Archer pulled his mask back down, adding, "Oh wait. This is side hobby you never mentioned. You're really into dying planets, suns going nova, sunken cities…these are all hidden interests, right?"

Trip grinned. "I never mentioned that? Must've slipped my mind all these years." Trip pulled his mask back on. "There's a building about three meters to the right of the first. Let's check it out." Trip put his mouthpiece back in his mouth.

Archer nodded and dove down.

"Good luck, sir," Travis said before Trip disappeared under the water.

Travis sat back, thumbing through the calendar with a smile.

_What the sea has swallowed it does not vomit out again._

African (Jabo) proverb


	3. Erinyes

_Erinyes (3)_

"Good morning Patty," Trip said to Ensign Loveless as he walked into the laboratory.

"What's so good about it, sir?" Patty snarled. She viciously stabbed at the dirt in the tray in front of her with a garden spade, scooped up some and sprinkled it into a petri dish beside the tray.

"I…well…it's here!" Trip beamed.

Patty looked over her shoulder at him with a sinister look. "Can I help you, Commander Tucker?"

"Lieutenant Anderson wanted me to hook up another power duct. Do you know where?" Trip asked.

Patty pointed in across the room with the garden spade in her hand. "Over there, sir."

Trip looked in the direction and smiled. "That's pretty general. Can you maybe show me where exactly he wanted it?"

Patty dropped the spade with a hefty sigh, turned and stormed across the room. She stopped by the wall and pointed to the spot that was marked on the wall. Trip followed her, keeping at a safe distance

"Here, sir," Patty turned to face him. "Anything _else_, sir?"

"Did I do something to offend you?" Trip asked.

"No, sir."

"Are ya mad at someone?"

Patty heaved a heavy angry sigh. "No. Sir."

"That'll be all, Ensign."

Patty walked back to the soil samples she was working with. Trip started working on the duct deciding that whatever he'd done, he didn't want to find out about because he didn't feel like correcting anymore.

#

Trip stepped into the dining room and stopped short, surprised to see Doctor Phlox sitting across the table.

"Hello, Doctor," Trip said, sitting down in his usual chair to Archer's left.

An Ensign came in and sat a plate of food in front of Trip. Trip unfolded his napkin in his lap and dug into the plate of food.

"Hello, Commander Tucker," Doctor Phlox said, smiling.

"How was your day?" Archer asked Trip.

Trip smiled, laughing a little when he asked, "Did you demote me or something, tell everyone and forget to tell me?"

"No. Why?"

"I have been under fire _all_ _day_! It's like all the women on Enterprise have suddenly turned into these green-eyed, snarling monster! Except for the Jit and T'Pol. I have been snapped at, snarled at, yelled at, tongue lashed, and scolded _all_ day!" Trip pointed to his collar pips, "And these pips on my collar, they've meant nothin' today."

Archer shrugged his eyebrows, "Perhaps Starfleet demoted both of us and forgot to tell us, Trip. I had the same experience today."

In a matter-of-fact tone Doctor Phlox stated, "The women are at the end of their ovulation cycle."

Archer and Trip dropped their forks and looked at Doctor Phlox with open surprise.

"I really didn't need to know that right now," Trip said.

"_All_ of them?" Archer asked. He picked up his fork and stabbed a bite of salad.

"Yes, most of them," Doctor Phlox answered. "That's why I asked if I could dine with you tonight, Captain. I have spent most of the day experiencing the same emotional distress Commander Tucker and yourself have experienced, including some tears," Doctor Phlox patted his shoulder. "It's a good thing I have a well padded shoulder and lots of tissues."

"So you're hiding from the furies, huh?" Trip laughed. He picked up his glass of tea and swallowed a sip.

"Are you are referring to the Erinyes, or furies, of Earth's Greek mythology, Commander?"

Trip sat his glass aside. "They appeared pretty similar to me today."

"However they are minus the snakes for hair," Doctor Phlox jested.

Trip smiled. "Better watch it. That may crop up sometime during their sleep tonight." Trip picked up his fork and resumed eating his supper.

"That _would_ be a fascinating medical case," Doctor Phlox chuckled.

"That explains why Hoshi was unusually disrespectful today," Archer thought out loud.

"Yes, it does," Doctor Phlox said.

Trip laughed, "And it was such a great idea to have co-ed ships way back when."

"And it still is," Archer shot back brusquely. "It just means us men end up getting a little more…_sensitized_." He smiled.

The three laughed.

"Browbeat is more like it," Trip chuckled.

"After what I've witnessed in the last seven years, I wouldn't want to see a Denobulan woman with this hormonal imbalance every month," Doctor Phlox commented.

"Is it normal for all of them to…" Trip paused, thought about the words he wanted and then continued. "Be hormonally imbalance at the same time?"

"Well, I have read several studies that have suggested that when human women are in a group for a lengthy time their ovulation cycles will eventually—"

"Okay! Enough of this topic," Archer laughed.

"We should talk about something more manly, sir?" Trip joked.

"Anything but that," Archer said.

Trip looked at Doctor Phlox, grinning, "Have any blood gushing wou—"

"TRIP!" Archer laughed. "Stop. Before I kick you back out there with the furies."

"You'd better heed his warning, Commander." Doctor Phlox smiled. "As you humans say, it's a jungle out there."

"Especially today." Trip smiled at Doctor Phlox. "Any news from home, Doctor?"

Doctor Phlox smiled, and began discussing current events of his home.


	4. Pen Pal

_Pen Pal (4)_

Archer laughed at Trip's story.

"I thought I was going to get smacked again, but she didn't," Trip finished.

"Teach you to let a woman hammer a nail when you've just made her mad, won't it?"

"Yeah. But it was inevitable!"

"Shipper to Archer," Ensign Shipper said on the companel.

Archer sat his fork down and stood, pressing to the companel. "Archer here."

"Sir…the kid's back."

Archer's humor faded with his sigh. "He wants to talk to Hoshi?"

"Yeah. Except this time he found the frequency I was on and broke a communication to Starfleet. I told him he'd have to wait on a sub channel for Hoshi and he left, but Lieutenant Hamilton at Command was pretty mad about the whole thing."

"This kid is starting to be a problem," Trip commented.

Archer couldn't agree more. He was interrupting at all hours of the day and refused to talk to anyone but Hoshi. Shipper and O'Malley, his night crew, had both told him she had come up after her shift to talk to him nearly every night for the last month.

"Okay," Archer sighed, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms across his chest, "I want you to connect the channel in to this companel, set it to monitor only, and then call Hoshi and have her talk to the kid."

"Do you want me to tell her it's being monitored?"

"Not this time, Joe."

"Yes, sir."

Archer walked over to his chair and sat down to continue eating while he waited. Trip resumed eating too, but kept quiet. He had listened to Archer rant enough times about this alien child that he knew Archer was coming to his wits end with the whole situation.

#

Ensign Shipper turned when he heard the lift open. He smiled, watching Hoshi walk up.

"What's the problem?" Hoshi asked.

"Guess," Shipper said.

"Oodahau?"

"Yep."

Hoshi laughed. "He had a test today and he promised he'd tell me how it went."

"Well, he's on hold here." Shipper stood up. "Can you talk to him about breaking into transmissions Hoshi? He interrupted a transmission I was making to Starfleet command and the Lieutenant taking it was less than humored."

Hoshi closed her eyes. "Yeah. I'll talk to him. Sorry, Joe."

"That kid's going to you and me fired, you know that? Good thing Carter and I are the only ones on tonight or you'd have to apologize to O'Malley."

"I know."

Ensign Shipper got up and walked past her. "I'm going on a break. Be back in fifteen."

"Thanks, Joe," Hoshi called after him. She walked around to the chair and sat down, putting the earpiece on her ear. Hoshi opened the channel.

"Hey Ooha," Hoshi said. She slouched down low in the chair, putting her feet up on the bottom rail around the station. Hoshi folded her hands together, laying them on her stomach and laid her head back against the chair.

"HOSHI!" Oodahau cried.

"How are you?" Hoshi asked.

"I passed my test, Hoshi! Only three more and then I can get into the academy."

"Congratulations! Was your dad proud?"

Oodahau didn't answer.

"Ooha?"

"My dad was busy. He didn't say much."

"Oh, Ooha, I'm sorry."

"That's okay. You're proud of me. That makes up for it."

Hoshi smiled, wishing she could believe that. She had lost count of the number of times Oodahau had said that his father didn't notice things he did.

"Did you draw today, Hoshi?"

"I was drawing when you called."

"What were you drawing?"

"A house I saw on a planet."

"Was it pretty?"

"I thought it was."

"I drew a Liphtaph. That's a really big bird on our planet. They have these multiple colored wings that are shiny and really pretty."

"They sound pretty."

"I could send you the picture."

"Yeah? How's that?"

"Oh. I have my ways."

Hoshi laughed. "Well, you just go right ahead and send it to me, Ooha. I'd love the picture."

"I wish you could send me some of your drawings."

"You and me both, Ooha."

"If you were drawing, were you working?"

"No."

"You weren't?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't work all the time, Ooha. I was drawing and eating my dinner."

"Oh. I bothered you. I'm sorry."

"That's okay. I won't hold it against you."

"What does that mean?"

"Means I'm not mad at you."

"Oh. Good. Well, I had to tell you that. I'll let you go back to drawing and eating."

"Okay. Hey, Ooha.

"Yeah?"

"Joe, the guy that was here before, said you interrupted a transmission trying to find me."

"I wanted to tell you about the test."

"I know you did, but you can't do that Ooha. We have work to do on Enterprise and the people we talk to don't much appreciate someone cutting them off for things like this. I think they're important, but my captain and others don't. It's going to get me and Joe in trouble if you keep doing it, Ooha."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"That's okay. Just don't do it again. You stay on the other frequency and the computer will tell us when you're on, okay? But no more interrupting transmissions, okay?"

"Promise, Hoshi. I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Okay." Hoshi looked up, smiling at Joe when he walked up. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"You bet! Bye Hoshi."

"Good-bye Oodahau."

The channel went silent. Hoshi got up, setting the earpiece on the console. She walked to the lift and pressed the button to call it. Hoshi leaned against the wall, thinking about the conversation. The lift door opened and she looked up to find Archer standing in the door.

"We have to talk," Archer said.

"Sir, I told him not to interrupt anymore."

"It's more than that, Hoshi."

Hoshi looked down. "He's becoming a problem, sir, I know. I'm trying to think of a way to tell him I can't talk to him anymore, but I don't want to hurt his feelings, sir. I don't know what to tell him."

"How about he's getting you in trouble, lots of it, and if this continues, you won't be talking to him because you'll be confined to your quarters for two weeks. And if it happens again, the brig for a month."

Hoshi looked up at Archer.

"He apparently knows how to get a hold of us. He can send letters from now on if he wants to tell you something."

"But I can't send any back to him. I don't know how to get a hold of him."

"Then maybe he needs to tell you. I would feel a whole lot more comfortable, and not so upset, if we could contact him when you wanted to and not when he wants to. I agreed to let you handle this on your own and so far, you haven't done a very good job, Hoshi. Now we're handling this my way."

"Yes, sir."

"Tomorrow, you'll talk to him and tell him. If he doesn't provide you with a means of sending him letters, then you won't talk to him anymore. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Archer stepped of the lift, allowing Hoshi to step on.

"Good night, Hoshi."

"Good night, sir." Hoshi pressed the bottom for deck F. She needed time to sort through this and the observation room was usually empty at night.

Hoshi looked up when the closing lift door stopped and opened. Archer stepped into the door, looking her in the eyes.

"Hoshi, I know you like this child, but as a captain, I have to wonder why he's been talking to you without any adult supervision for over a month. I know he's a child, and he himself is no threat, but without knowing what race he is and why he's alone all the time, I have to put my foot down. You could be waking a hornet's nest without knowing it, Hoshi."

"I understand, sir."

"Do you? This isn't going to be like last time, is it?"

"No, sir. A month is too long. Pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?"

Archer nodded.

Hoshi offered him a weak smile. "I'm not mad at you, sir. I get frustrated when I get in a rock and hard place."

Archer smiled. "That does pretty much some this up, Hoshi."

"Yes, sir."

"Good night, Hoshi."

Archer stepped back, letting the door close. Hoshi looked down at the floor.


	5. Joint Issue

_Joint Issue (5)_

The ship had come out of nowhere at full warp and firing on _Enterprise_. It had caught the night shift an hour into their shift, Archer in the shower, and the rest of his crew completely off guard. Lieutenant O'Malley had taken weapons control to return fire.

"O'Malley, what's going on?" Archer asked as the lift door opened.

Archer was thrown against the hull as the ship rocked from a phaser blast.

"I have no idea. They came out of the blue!" Lieutenant O'Malley answered.

"Shipper, ca—"

"Senior staff has already been called to the bridge, sir. I've ordered all hands to their posts and Lieutenant O'Malley's polarized the hull."

"Sir," Hoshi said as she ran onto the bridge.

Shipper jumped up to let her sit down. He was thrown back against the console and Hoshi barely caught herself on the railing. She pulled herself up and jumped into the chair. Hoshi shoved the earpiece into her ear.

"Hail them, Hoshi," Archer ordered.

"On it, sir."

T'Pol, Malcolm and Trip ran onto the bridge and took over their stations.

Hoshi tilted her head a moment when she heard a communication from the attacking ship. She sat up slowly, looking up at the screen. Hoshi reached out and turned on the translator, continuing to try hailing the attacking ship.

"Hoshi?"

"I'm working on it, sir!" Hoshi said. Her stomach tensed when she suddenly began to suspect whom their attacker was.

"Another two ships have dropped out of warp and are attacking us," Malcolm reported

"One of them is the Dariptak. Oodahau's father's ship, sir," Hoshi said.

"WHAT!?" Archer cried.

"I'm trying to hail them but they aren't responding."

"Demand to talk to Oodahau," Archer ordered.

Hoshi sent the request. The ships stopped firing on _Enterprise_.

"Malcolm?" Archer asked.

"They haven't stood down, sir. Two more ships have dropped out of warp and have us surrounded."

"We're being hailed," Hoshi told Archer

"On screen," Archer said.

On the screen large bugs appeared. The creatures had a wide head with eyes on flat, flexible appendages. Two large antennas stuck up from the top of their head, and like the flexible eye appendages, they moved independently much like a human might move their hands. The aliens were reclining on seat that was like a chair made backwards. They had four back feet attached to bulbous, bee-like and bee-colored bodies that ended in flat feet resembling suction pads. Their top four limbs were twig thin with three fingers that ended at a dull point. The chair that the bug sitting in the center of the bridge was reclining on had four armrests for each of his top limbs and when he spoke the point at the bottom of his arrow shaped head was all that moved.

"Identify yourselves," he ordered.

"I'm Captain Archer of the starship Enterprise. And you are?"

"I am King Idnd and you are in my kingdom, requesting to speak to my son. How do you know my son? I have never seen your kind before."

Hoshi closed her eyes, letting her head fall back.

"Perhaps my communications officer can explain that to both of us."

Hoshi stood and walked out to stand beside Archer. She looked up at the screen.

"Your Highness, I apologize. Ooha—"

"You will refer to him as Prince Oodahau, not the pet name his mother gave him. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Highness, my sincerest apology. Prince Oodahau and I have been speaking off and on for the last three months. He assured me that you knew we were talking and I assumed he was being truthful. Had I know, I would have… Done something different."

King Idnd rose from his chair and walked toward the view screen. "Do you have record of the times you have spoken with him?"

"Yes."

"Do you have record of transmissions he sent to you?"

"Yes."

"What did he send to you?"

"Pictures that he drew, a picture of you and his family, and his pet gartkla."

"Did you transmit anything to my son?"

"Yes. Pictures of myself, the crew, our captain's pet and some pictures of our home world."

"You will transmit these records and everything you and he sent to one another immediately."

Hoshi looked at Captain Archer.

"Need I remind you whose kingdom you have invaded?" Kind Idnd asked. "Do you really feel it is wise to request your Captain's approval over mine when your ship is surrounded and we are prepared to open fire again?"

"Get them," Archer ordered Hoshi in a hushed voice.

Hoshi went back to her station and transmitted the data King Idnd requested. She returned to Archer's side.

"You will wait. If you attempt to flee, we will fire upon you." King Idnd disappeared from the monitor.

"I am so sorry." Hoshi turned to Archer. "I swear I didn't think Oodahau was lying, Captain. I wouldn't have continued talking to him if I'd known he was, sir. I am so sorry."

"It's okay," Archer smiled at her. "Let's just hope this turns out well, okay?"

Hoshi nodded.

After the first hour, Archer returned to the captain's chair to wait. Hoshi walked to her station and sat down to wait. She reached under the console and pulled out the picture Oodahau had sent her of his family. He had said he had six brothers and ten sisters. Hoshi couldn't imagine living with a family that large and the picture showed all of his brothers and sisters, his father and his father's ten wives. Hoshi looked up when the console beeped.

"He's hailing us again."

"Open a channel and get down here," Archer told her.

Hoshi opened the channel, tossed the picture on the console and returned to her position beside Archer.

King Idnd and Oodahau were standing in front of the view monitor.

"These are the aliens?" King Idnd asked Oodahau.

"Yes, father."

"You transmitted messages and data to them without telling me?"

"Yes, sir."

King Idnd grabbed Oodahau and shoved him against a console. "Do you have any idea what we went through while you pulled this stunt?"

Archer clenched his fists. He wanted to stop the King from harming his son, but with four ships surrounding them, he knew it was best to keep silent.

"I'm sorry father! I didn't know it would cause a problem!"

"We are in the middle of a war, child! Do you have any idea what we thought when we saw records of transmissions made at times when the main crew was not at their posts?"

"I'm sorry father!"

"I should kill you!"

"NO!" Hoshi cried.

King Idnd moved like lightening, his face in front of the screen. "Did you not wonder why a child was talking alone on a communication channel, human?"

"Yes, but I believed him when he said he had permission. Please, Your Highness, I can understand what this must have looked like, but he really meant no harm."

One of King Idnd's eyes bent back to look at Oodahau while the other remained watching Hoshi. A rattling hiss came across the communications channel. King Idnd backed away, turning both eyes on his son.

"They have invaded our space. They must die." King Idnd turned to return to his chair.

"NO!" Oodahau cried out.

King Idnd stopped, one eye turning back to look at Oodahau. "You defy my orders?"

"Yes. If," Oodahau turned one eye to the view monitor and the other stayed on his father for a moment. Both eyes turned to his father. "If killing me will make up for this and spare their lives, then take it, father. Please, don't kill them. They are not bad aliens. They have children on their ship too. Have you known any of our enemy's to take children on their war vessels? And look at the configurations!" Oodahau ran over to a console, pulling something up. "They are weak." Oodahau spun around. "They are no threat to us. Father, whatever I have to do I will do if you will spare them. Please, do not kill them."

King Idnd's torso straightened up, making him appear several feet taller. He turned one eye back to the view monitor. He turned, his body a blur when he did. He walked forward, his head tilting to the side.

"My son is right. You really are of no threat, yet I must confirm this. I will come aboard and confirm that you are not a war vessel."

"We can assure you we aren't, but we'll be happy to receive you, Your Highness," Archer said.

"My guard ships will be prepared to fire if you should attempt anything."

"Ship coming alongside," Travis said.

"Make docking preparations, Travis. We will meet you at the docking hatch."

"Very well." King Idnd disappeared.

"Have you programmed the communicators, Hoshi?" Archer asked.

"Yes, sir."

"T'Pol and Trip, join us. Hoshi."

Hoshi retrieved four communicators and they headed for the docking door.

#

The door opened and the four nearly forgot their manners. King Idnd was gigantic. He had to crouch to come through the docking door and when he stood in the hall in front of them the top of his head almost brushed the hall ceiling and keep his antennas bent back.

A smaller Lanigiro came out beside him.

"My son, Prince Oodahau," King Idnd said.

"Ooha," Oodahau said, looking up at him. "They call me Ooha. I like it."

"You are a Prince."

"Prince Ooha?"

"Very well," Kind Idnd said with a somewhat aggravated tone. His eyes turned down to look at the four in front of him. "They are no bigger than ratup."

"DON'T EAT THEM!" Oodahau cried.

King Idnd tilted his head to the side, his eyes turning toward his son. "I said no bigger. I said nothing of eating them, child."

Oodahau looked at the four. "This is my father King Idnd…but you already figured that out. He's very kind, but we are at war. I was not thinking of that when I continued to contact you, Hoshi. Captain Archer, I am very sorry. I did not mean to cause this confusion."

"It's quite alright. You would like to tour my ship, Your Highness?" Archer asked King Idnd.

"As best I can. It is small."

Archer smiled. "To us it is big."

"Yes. I can see this. Hoshi, yes?" Kind Idnd's eyes focused on her.

"Yes."

"My son will remain with you. When we are prepared to leave you will bring him back here promptly. He desires to meet the children you spoke of."

"Yes, Your Highness," Hoshi said with a smile.

King Idnd's head drew back. "You have interesting faces. I see much on them. Are all humans like this?"

"Yes," Archer and Hoshi answered at the same time.

Hoshi blushed, looking down, "Sorry, sir."

Archer laughed. "Uhm, this way, Your Highness." Archer motioned the direction they were going to walk.

Archer, Trip and T'Pol left with King Idnd and his guard. Hoshi and Oodahau watched them leave. Oodahau moved close to Hoshi, saying in a quiet voice, "Ooha. When he can't hear."

Hoshi laughed, smiling. "Ooha it is. Ooha?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you lie to me?"

"I didn't think you'd talk any more to me if I told you the truth."

"Ooha," Hoshi reached out, laying a hand on his arm.

Oodahau drew back from her.

"Oh. I'm sorry," Hoshi said.

"It is okay, Hoshi. Your hand feels…different." Oodahau's head lowered and with one of his limbs he picked up Hoshi's hand. "Do all humans have these?"

"They're called hands and yes."

"Hands. Mm." Oodahau put her hand back on his arm. "You were saying?"

"Let's not lie to each other anymore, okay?"

"Oh no. No more. Father would become very angry with me."

"I thought he already was."

"No. If he were very angry with me, I would have been killed right away."

"Oh."

Oodahau leaned close to Hoshi. "I am joking. He was testing me when you saw him. He would not kill me unless I caused a terrible act of treason."

"Oh." Hoshi smiled. "You'll have to let me know when you're joking, Ooha. I can't hear you laugh, remember?"

"I remember. Humans and Lanigiro are very much different, but I like it. Now, please show me the children you told me of. I am anxious to meet them."

Hoshi smiled, dropping her hand. "Come on."

Oodahau walked next to her, talking excitedly about everything he saw as they slowly walked through the halls.


	6. Fatherhood

_Fatherhood (6)_

Archer glanced up when the lift door opened and watched Malcolm walk out. He looked back at Hoshi to continue speaking but stopped and looked back at Malcolm. Malcolm crossed the bridge to his station and stumbled into his chair, muttering something inaudible when he spilled coffee from his mug on himself.

"Just a minute," Archer said to Hoshi.

Archer walked over to Malcolm and leaned on the railing. He watched Malcolm yawn and dry his watery eyes before speaking.

"Good morning, Malcolm," Archer said.

"M'nin', sir," Malcolm muttered. He began running system checks and reviewing the night shift's reports.

"Malcolm."

"Hm?" Malcolm looked at Archer.

Archer stared at Malcolm's face. There were large, dark circles under Malcolm's eyes indicating he hadn't slept in several days. As lethargic as he was moving, Archer suspected Malcolm would fall asleep right now if he sat for very long.

"Are you feeling okay?" Archer asked.

"Mm-hm."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm-hm," Malcolm shook his head.

"Yes and no. Which is it?"

Malcolm looked away, apparently thinking. "I dunno, sir."

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes."

"You look like hell. What happened last night?"

Malcolm looked at Archer. "Last night?"

"Malcolm, when was the last time you slept?"

"A full night's sleep, sir?"

"Yes."

"A month, two weeks, four days, nine hours and twenty-seven minutes ago. Why?"

"Malcolm, I'm serious. When did you get sleep last?"

"Sir, I haven't gotten a full night's sleep for months. And now Jon has colic, Kasbra has an ear infection, my wife is having some problem, and I've been up with them all crying for the last four days. So I am being serious, sir."

Archer lowered his voice, "Doctor Phlox called it postpartum depression."

"The name really isn't important, now is it, sir?"

Archer smiled. "Are you sure you'll be fine today?"

Malcolm looked around the bridge for a minute. He focused on Archer. "No, sir. But should I fall asleep yell loudly and I'll get right back to work."

"Perhaps today would be a good sick day."

"I'm not sick."

"No, but you may as well be. Go home. Sleep."

"Sleep, sir?"

"Yes."

"Did I mention that Jon Na—"

"Yes, you've mentioned the chaos in your quarters. Tell ya what, go crash in my quarters. Just get some sleep, Malcolm. You look awful."

"You won't mind?"

"No. But I might mind if you pressed the little red button instead of the little green button and blew up some alien I'm having a friendly chat with."

Malcolm smiled a little. "The first real sleep in days. You are truly a caring captain."

"Uh-huh. Go. Before I start hearing sappy music in the background."

Malcolm rose and went back to the lift. Archer reached over the railing and touched the companel.

"Archer to the Armory."

"Go ahead, sir," a voice answered.

"Send someone up here to man weapons. Lieutenant Reed is out sick today."

The crewman chuckled. "Yes, sir. Right away."

"Is there a problem?" Archer asked.

"Jon Nathan has col—"

"Yes. I know. I've already been told about life in the Reed quarters today. Send someone up. Archer out."

Archer turned and walked back to Hoshi. She grinned, reaching over and tapping the console beside her. A slow, sad, sappy love song started playing through the bridge communications. Hoshi rested her elbows on the railing and her chin in her hands.

"You know there's nothing kept secret on the bridge, right?" Hoshi said.

Archer nodded. "I should have seen that one from a mile away."

Hoshi shrugged her eyebrows.

Archer continued talking over the music.


	7. 1 Bourbon, 1 Scotch, and 1 Beer

_1 Bourbon, 1 Scotch, and 1 Beer (7)_

Hoshi jammed her finger against the doorbell of the quarters again.

The door opened and Malcolm stood in the door.

"Can I help you?" Malcolm growled.

"I need to talk to Vardee. Is she here?"

"No," Malcolm answered crossly. "She's probably on the Diedra however since she swore she wasn't coming home until I apologized. And if you do see her, tell her I'm not apologizing. It was her fault!" Malcolm closed the door on Hoshi.

Hoshi stormed to a lift and waited impatiently for it. She stepped on and pressed the button for F deck.

The lift descended and she stepped off, storming to loading bay three. Hoshi stomped around the _Diedra_ and onto the ship.

"Diedra, locate Vardee Reed."

"Captain Vardee is in her quarters," the computer replied.

Hoshi stormed down the hall to the captain's quarters. She jammed her finger against the button. There was no response. She tried again but there was still no response.

"VARDEE, I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!" Hoshi yelled.

The door opened. Sista was sitting at a table looking back at Hoshi.

"What?" Sista asked in a low growl.

Hoshi stormed up to her. She stopped when she noticed that Sista's gaze wasn't following her very well and that Sista was holding what smelled like an alcoholic drink.

"Are you drunk?" Hoshi asked

"Getting there," Sista replied, bobbing her head.

Hoshi sank into the chair next to her, watching Sista sip her drink. "Why?"

"Husband…mmm…mean. Been mean for cintra."

"Diedra, run English translator," Hoshi ordered.

"Initializing. Translator running," the computer informed them.

"What did Malcolm do?" Hoshi asked, "He was mad when I just spoke with him. Said something about he wasn't apologizing and it was your fault. What was he talking about?"

"He asked me to help with things in the armory. I was happy to help even if he's been mean lately. Then we get to arguing about some figures. Stupid figures," Sista hissed then swallowed another sip of her drink. "Fight got worse until we were yelling. Archer came in and broke it up. Archer always breaks up our fights. He should just let us fight. We always work it out. But he came in and sent Malcolm to do something. He told me I didn't need to help. So…I came down here, got drink and plan on getting drunk. Lost the battle, but not the war."

Hoshi sat back in her chair. "I just got reamed out by the captain."

"For what?"

"I ran a report wrong again. He said he was tired of me running it wrong and if I didn't start getting it right he'd have to do something."

The doorbell rang.

"Enter," Sista said, sitting back in her chair.

Ensign Pierson stepped into the room. "Vardee, I need to talk to you."

"About Malcolm or Archer?"

"Actually…T'Pol."

"Join us." Sista motioned to the chair on her other side. "The more the merry, as you may say."

Ensign Pierson sat down and laid her forehead on the table. "I swear that woman _hates_ me!"

"T'Pol's hard on everyone, Linda." Sista patted her arm. "What she do?"

"She says my job performance isn't adequate. That others of my same rank are doing better than I am."

"Are they?"

"How the hell should I know!?" Ensign Pierson fell back in her chair, throwing her arms up. "I'm a biologist. There are only four of us on board and we help out when we don't have anything else to do, ya know? But I feel like we're fifth wheels! And the only other Ensign that's a biologist works with Commander Tucker in engineering! There's nothing to compare my performance too!"

"Replicator," Sista said.

Both Ensigns looked at her.

"What?" Ensign Pierson asked.

"Replicator." Sista pointed to the replicator on the wall. "Get drink and then get drunk. Then worry about it when sober again."

"We can't get drunk, Vardee. Captain Archer will get upset. That _is_ against Starfleet regulations."

"Not against High Guard regulations." Sista sipped her drink. "We always got drunk after a good fight, regardless of who won."

"We're not High Guard. We're Starfleet."

Sista nodded, pursing her lips. "Tomorrow you both have off, don't you?" Sista asked.

"Yes," both women answered.

"Get drunk, sleep it off on board Diedra, K'pan never know. I not tell. Are either of you going to tell?"

"They'll find us."

"Ahhhhh!" Sista leaned forward, grinning. "I fix that. Diedra, block sensors to and from Enterprise. Close hatch and lock. Vardee pi alpha six nine. Block all but priority one messages and mask life signs on board."

The computer beeped. Sista smiled. "You both have just disappeared. How's does it feel to be invisible?"

Hoshi got up and walked to the replicator. "What other drinks are on here?"

"I dunno. I let Trip program them for the holosuite."

"Bourbon on the rocks," Hoshi said. A glass with liquid and ice appeared. Hoshi picked it up and sipped it. She turned to Ensign Pierson. "Linda?"

"Beer. Miller."

Hoshi repeated the order. She picked up the bottle of beer and took it to the table. Linda picked up the bottle and tasted the drink. She smiled.

"That man knows how to program resequencers," Linda commented.

"I heard he's been programming them since he was in high school," Hoshi said.

"Really?"

"That's what I heard."

"Did you see Lieutenant Johnson today?" Linda sat back, grinning.

"If I weren't married…" Sista laughed.

Hoshi laughed. "He's not my type."

"Eh? Who is?" Sista asked.

Hoshi sipped her drink. "What are you drinking?" Hoshi asked Sista.

Sista lifted her glass, looking at it. "Malcolm calls it scotch. Tastes like gilat."

Linda laughed, letting her head fall back against the chair

"What?" Hoshi asked.

"There's an Earth song called that."

"Called gilat?" Sista asked.

Linda laughed, "No."

"What is it called?"

"One bourbon, one scotch and one beer."

The women laughed.

"Who do you like, Hoshi?" Linda pried.

Hoshi grinned. "Lieutenant Frank Lark. That man has a fine…MM-MM!"

The women laughed again.

"He _is_ fine." Linda nodded. "So tell us, Vardee."

Sista looked at Linda. "Tell you what?"

"Tell us about your husband's _finer_ habits." Linda grinned, swallowing a drink of beer.

Sista grinned in return. "My husband…is well endowed. We may fight a lot, but he makes up for it in the middle of the night."

All three women laughed.

"To the men we have…" Sista raised her glass. Hoshi and Linda lifted their glasses and beer bottle, toasting them to Sista's. "And can't kill."

The three laughed.

"And to the men we wish we had," Linda lifted her beer bottle again, grinning, "At least for one night."

Hoshi lifted her glass, "And to ignoring regulations and getting completely plowed!"

The three women toasted, cheered and swallowed a drink. Linda leaned on the table, starting to tell a story about her ex-husband.


	8. Carving in the Dunes

_Carving In The Dunes (8)_

Archer stared at the main monitor of the situation console, waiting for T'Pol to give her report of the planet below. From space he could see very little vegetation, so he expected the report to be detailed and boring.

"It is eighty-seven percent desert," T'Pol began, "and thirteen percent water and marshland. It appears that the planet is dying and all plant life will be gone in less than one millennia." T'Pol turned to Archer. "In another two millennia, it will have no atmosphere and will resemble its orbiting moon."

"Hm," Archer said. '_And if she keeps talking like that, I'm falling asleep where I'm standing._'

"It is still maintaining a Menshera atmosphere," T'Pol continued.

"Any humanoid life detected?"

"The only life on this planet is plant and a few species of rodents. The rodents live where the sand dunes have not become too high."

Like a freight train, a sporadic, and probably childish, idea suddenly hit Archer. He stood up straight, his mind whirring as it began piecing together a plan. "How high are the sand dunes?"

"The tallest sand dunes measure half a kilometer in height."

"Are there a lot of sand dunes over twelve meters?"

"Most of them. Why do you ask?"

"Any of them with at least a fifteen percent slope?"

"Most of them."

"Any with a good place to land a shuttle nearby?"

"Several, however, I do not see any reason for exploring this planet, Captain. There is nothing on the surface of interest."

Archer ignored her comment as he turned to Trip. His senior engineer was slightly swaying back and forth out of boredom. Archer was struck with the thought that this was a new habit of Trip's.

"Trip."

Trip looked at him, coming to a standstill. "Yeah?"

"Didn't you tell me you were working on programming the resequencer to make wax for T'Pol's meditation candles?"

"Yes."

"But there's a problem. What is it again?"

"The wax is too hard. Have to melt it with a plasma torch just to get it to liquefy."

"Really?" A grin began to slowly creep across Archer's lips. "That hard, huh?"

"Yes…sir," Trip answered, staring at Archer.

"Malcolm," Archer said.

"Sir?"

Archer looked down the console at Malcolm. "Just a few days ago you were asking to get rid of some plastic panels that have been occupying one of the armory store rooms since we left port."

"Yes, sir."

"What's the composition of those panels?"

"Uhm…a high grade fiber steel mixed with fiber glass and poxy silicon. Why do you ask?"

"How thick are they?"

Malcolm looked away, thinking for a moment.

"Probably six to six and a half centimeters, sir," he answered.

Archer lifted his hands, using them to help him aid in his thought as he tried to think of what he wanted to ask. "Don't they have like…uhm…oh…uh…a honeycomb design under the outer panel sheets?"

"Yes, sir. Frankly, I don't know what they're for. We can't use them for anything on Enterprise. There's short of five dozen and they're just taking up space."

"Perfect!" Archer's smile reflected his building childish giddiness. He looked back at Trip who looked even more worried now.

"Whatever half-cocked idea is going through that head of your's, Cap'n, if it involves going to that planet, no." Trip said, "You know I hate desert planets and you know why and I am not going down to that planet except dead!"

"Trip—"

"NO! And you can order all you want. You aren't getting me on that planet unless I'm dead!"

"Trip, why would I even be asking about the wax being so hard. Come on! What do we use wax that hard for back home? I've drug you with me several times and you didn't mind being in a desert then."

"What are you talking about?"

"THINK!"

"Sir, I have no id—" Trip stopped talking, his mouth still open on the syllable. He grinned just as large as Archer. "That wax is so hard that I have to use a plasma torch at the highest setting to melt it and them boards have a honeycomb bracing under the top panels. I bet with a torch and a form we could get those panels cut clean, melt the wax into that honeycomb and maybe get the quarter master to jerry rig us some bindings. I think I could rig something up for a hot iron even. I'll break my desert planet rule for _this_."

Archer laughed, patting his hands on the console edge. "Travis!"

From the helm Travis turned his chair. "Yes, sir?"

"Have you picked up any ships on long range sensors since we've been here?"

"No, sir."

"Take us into geosynchronous orbit, Travis." Archer looked at T'Pol. "T'Pol, you have the bridge. Run a skeleton crew unless something shows up on long-range sensors and don't call me unless you have to. Meeting adjourned." Archer headed for the lift with Trip right behind.

"Captain," T'Pol said.

Archer turned on the steps. "Yeah?"

"What is it that you are planning on doing, Captain?"

Archer only offered a Cheshire grin in response to her question. "Take care of my ship, T'Pol." Archer patted her shoulder. "I'm going to take some shore leave."

Archer turned and trotted after Trip who was waiting for him on the lift. The door cut off the two men talking excitedly

T'Pol turned to Hoshi and Malcolm, all three confused by what had just happened.

"I guess…we don't need to give our reports?" Malcolm asked T'Pol.

"Apparently not." T'Pol turned and walked to the captain's chair.

#

Trip laughed, listening to the crew behind him chattering excitedly. The shuttle pod was packed with people and Archer stood at Trip's elbow, watching the surface of the planet get closer. Trip glanced up at him. Archer was still wearing that excited childish grin he'd had when he first came up with the idea three days ago.

"You're insane, Cap'n," Trip said quietly.

"It suits me, doesn't it?" Archer laughed.

Trip nodded. "Aye, Cap'n."

Archer looked back at the crewmen behind him. Like himself, they were all dressed in shorts and tank tops or short sleeve shirts. Archer caught a glimpse of T'Pol. She had asked to go that morning as Trip and Archer were eating an early breakfast in the mess hall with everyone else that was on shore leave today.

"Right there?" Trip asked.

Archer looked back, seeing the spot he was pointing too. "Perfect."

Trip landed the shuttle and turned to the panel displaying external sensor readings. "Perfect desert, sir. Forty-three degrees Celsius and climbing. It is clear and quiet."

All but T'Pol cheered.

Archer stood. "Let's go boarding people!"

"First to wipe out takes my shift tomorrow," an ensign at the back called.

"You're on," Trip and two other crewmen replied.

Archer waited for the rest of the crew to exit so he could speak to T'Pol. She was sitting on a bench at the back, looking like she was in deep thought.

"There's a board left if you feel inclined to join us," Archer told her.

"I do not understand what the excitement is for, Captain," T'Pol admitted.

"Sand boarding."

"What is sand boarding?"

"It's… I bet you don't know what surfing or snowboarding is either, do you?"

"No."

"Well…look it up when we get back to Enterprise. It's like both of those but on sand." Archer got up and retrieved his sand board.

"And this is an Earth recreation?"

"For some," Archer laughed. "See you at dusk, T'Pol." Archer lifted the board under his arm and left T'Pol to her thoughts.

#

Archer felt himself falling. He could see the sand rushing toward him even as he felt himself tipping over. Then he hit the hot sand. His board rigging broke free and he was sent rolling to the bottom of the dune. He reached the bottom the same time Trip did and the two men lay laughing, joined by two more crewmen a minute later.

"Incoming!" someone yelled.

The four scattered as Malcolm came to a sliding stop on his stomach where Archer had been.

"Trying to kill us, huh?" Trip teased as he got up.

"I want to be captain, you see."

"Just for that, you get my shift tomorrow," Archer joked.

"Really?" Malcolm asked hopefully.

"No."

The men laughed. Trip held his hand out to Malcolm, helping him to his feet. The men gathered their boards and started the trudge up the fifty-meter dune. Archer looked up, seeing someone sitting at the top of the dune.

"Who's that?" Archer asked.

He pulled his sunglasses back on so he could see across the glare of the golden sand but was still too far away to identify the person.

"T'Pol, sir," Malcolm said. "She reached the summit as I was getting ready to start down."

"Not much into physical sports, is she?" one of the crewmen asked.

"To each their own, Ensign," Archer replied.

"We should push her," Trip said.

"TRIP!" Archer said.

"She wouldn't like that very much, Trip," Malcolm pointed out.

Trip laughed. "But we would."

"Trip, don't do it," Archer ordered.

"It was a thought."

"An evil one at that." Malcolm smiled. "However the mental image is quite humorous."

The men laughed.

"I am going to sleep hard tonight," the ensign commented. "Maybe we should install a lift for the next time we're in the neighborhood."

"Fabulous idea! We'll put it right next to the cantina," Malcolm joked.

The five laughed again.

"You know, Captain," one of the crewmen said, "I've sand boarded in a lot of places but this place has the best dunes I've been on so far. This _will_ be something to write home about."

The five laughed again and then fell silent for the remainder of the trudge up the dune. They reached the top winded and hot and sat down in a line across the summit to rest before heading down again. Archer looked down the line at T'Pol. A hot, gentle breeze was blowing across the tops of the dunes and she had her face turned into it with her eyes closed. Archer smiled. Maybe she didn't enjoy the boarding, but at least she appeared to be enjoying the time off _Enterprise_.

"Ready?" Trip asked.

The five jumped up and set up to start down the hill.

"Go!" one of the ensigns yelled.

Archer didn't push off. He smiled, watching the four fly down the hill. They laughed and taunted each other like a group of children on recess. One of the crewmen got close to Malcolm and the two tried pushing each other off their boards all the way down the hill. He laughed at his crewmen's antics.

"I have not seen this crew enjoy shore leave like this for quite some time," T'Pol commented.

Archer smiled down at her. "We don't have many opportunities to just play out here, T'Pol."

T'Pol looked up at Archer. "I have done this activity before, but it was when I was much younger. We called it something else."

"You could try it again, you know? There is one more board on the shuttle. Unless you're afraid of falling?" Archer taunted.

T'Pol stood, looking at Archer. "I have no use of a board." T'Pol turned and jumped off the edge, racing down the hill on her feet and expertly turning her body to keep from falling as she slid.

Archer could hear the four below cheering and hooting at T'Pol. With a whoop, Archer leapt off the summit and followed her on his board.


	9. No Regrets

_No Regrets (9)_

Archer heard the wailing even before the lift door opened. T'Pol and he both looked away from the situation console toward the lift. Archer saw Navta step onto the bridge looking around it for him.

"Navta?" Archer said. He walked around T'Pol and up the two steps to stand in front of her.

Navta was gingerly holding her arm and looked up at him with one of her heart-breaking pitiful looks. Archer knelt down, pulling her hand away so he could look at her arm. Her elbow was scraped but it was far from a serious injury.

"It hurts!" Navta sobbed.

"I'm sure it does. What happened?"

"We were swinging on the rope and I fell and rolled off the matt and it hurts."

"And you came all the way up here to tell me this?" Archer asked her.

Navta's wailing renewed. Archer frowned. He pulled her into his arms, picking her up. Archer walked around to the captain's chair and sat down, holding her to him. Archer pulled her hand away and kissed her elbow.

"Any better?" Archer asked her.

Navta nodded but still cried.

"Shhh. It feels much worse than it is, Navta. Shhh."

Navta started to calm down. "It hurts."

"Scraped elbows are funny that way. You probably dinged your funny bone really good."

"What's a funny bone?"

Archer took her good arm and pointed to the place where here funny bone was. "Right here. It hurts a lot when I hit mine."

Navta sniffed, laying her head on Archer's shoulder. She held her injured elbow up again.

"Kiss it again."

Archer smiled, kissing her elbow. "Better?"

Navta nodded.

"And a hug for the tears," Archer said as he hugged her.

Navta smiled a little.

"Now, you go down to sickbay and find Likos. He can fix it for you, okay?"

Navta nodded but didn't move.

"What's wrong?"

Navta shrugged. Archer pulled her closer, resting his chin on her head.

"Eartik laughed at me. A couple crewmen laughed at me too," Navta said quietly.

Archer smiled. He kissed her forehead. "They didn't mean anything by it, Navta."

"It was mean."

"Yes it was, but they didn't mean to be mean. And I've seen you laugh at Eartik when he's gotten hurt."

"No."

"Nooo?" Archer lowered his head, looking sidelong at Navta and meeting her gaze. "When he fell off the ladder in the loading bay you were laughing."

Navta ducked her head, smiling a little. "He didn't get hurt."

"He had a nasty bump on his head."

"Yeah bu…he shouldn't have laughed."

"No more than you should have. Turn about's fair play, half-pint."

"That means I got what I deserved for laughing at Eartik?"

"That means if you laugh at Eartik when he's hurt, he doesn't understand that laughing when you or someone else gets hurt isn't funny. You're older than he is, Navta. He looks up to you."

"So I'm his captain?"

Archer laughed. "Not quite. More like his lieutenant. I think Drista and Likos hold the captain position over you."

Navta smiled.

Archer patted her hip. "Go to sickbay and have Likos fix you up. And play nice with Eartik when you go back to the rec room, okay?"

"Yes, K'pan." Navta slid off his lap and walked back to the lift.

Archer waited for her to leave before he looked at Trip. "When did I become that kid's father figure?"

Trip started to answer but Malcolm beat him to it. "Between letting them stay aboard and when you started calling her half-pint, sir."

Archer laughed, shaking his head. "Ya know…I don't recall any clause in my contract that said anything about being an unsuspecting father figure."

Trip smiled. "Mine said nothing about being pregnant or being shot at by aliens."

"There was no clause that said I would have to deal with near death experiences on asteroids or dilapidated shuttle pods," Malcolm added.

"Mine didn't say anything about near death experiences on asteroids either," Travis laughed.

"Yeah, well, I have you all beat." Hoshi looked at Archer with a mock glare. "In my _bribe_ package there was nothing that said anything about traveling thousands of light years away from Earth on a starship and being expected to know languages on the fly, without seatbelts." Hoshi made a dramatic pause and then added, "Sir!"

Archer laughed at her. "Yeah! Yeah! It was covered in the compensation package. Didn't you read the fine print?"

"Oh! You mean that bottom part that I would have had to magnify by a few thousand times to read?" Hoshi laughed.

"Would any of you exchange the experiences you have participated in for some lesser experiences?" T'Pol asked.

Archer looked up. She was standing at the railing behind him, watching Archer at the moment. Archer turned around, looking down at the floor. He smiled.

"No." He shook his head. "I wouldn't change a thing. Not even Navta."

Hoshi turned her chair back around, adding, "Took forever, but I really have enjoyed myself. I've learned a lot, seen a lot and it has been amazing."

Archer smiled. He agreed with amazing. Secretly, it made him swell with joy every time Navta called him 'K'pan' like he had once called his father 'dad'. Archer stood and walked back to the situation room with T'Pol to continue plotting out the course for the next three weeks.


End file.
